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Is
it possible to get too much of a good thing? |
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Breakfast
is the most important meal of the day - experts have been
telling us this for years. But maybe you didn't realize just
how significant it could be. Take your typical breakfast
- orange juice, cereal, and toast. Now think about what's
in it. You're drinking calcium-fortified orange juice, your
cereal is calcium-enriched, the milk poured over the cereal
has plenty of calcium, and the toast is buttered with calcium
rich margarine. Sounds like a lot of calcium, doesn't it?
Mineral and vitamin enriched foods are popular with the masses
and food makers are happy with the profits, but are consumers
getting too much from these fortified products?
The
news is filled with stories extolling the cancer-fighting
properties of antioxidants such as Vitamin C and beta-carotene,
women are being encouraged to make sure they get enough calcium
to prevent osteoporosis, and researchers are hoping that Vitamin
E will prove to reduce the risk of heart disease. With the
barrage of vitamin-enriched products and the concurrent media
onslaught, who wouldn't be tempted to give the hype a try?
Before
you shop
Be
careful, there are some things you should know before you
go on a spending spree.
While
vitamins are good for you, they might not be completely healthy
in high doses. Vitamin C has been reported to cause hardening
of the arteries, too much selenium can cause selenosis (a
condition characterized by hair loss), and high levels of
Vitamin E have been linked to an increased risk for stroke
and uncontrolled bleeding. Fat-soluble vitamins can be stored
in the body for use later on, but if too much is stored they
can become toxic. "We're taught that the fat-soluble vitamins
are the ones that you shouldn't take too much of; Vitamin
A, D, E, and K," says Conrad Frey, MD, a San Diego, California
family doctor specializing in preventive health.
In
addition, your body will not be able to process high amounts
of vitamins; any excess will be excreted; this can cause side
effects such as diarrhea. "I worry, and I've seen this happen,
when you take a whole handful of pills, I think the big danger
is not getting an overdose, but getting a GI upset or getting
it stuck in the esophagus. The gelatin capsules can stick
together," notes Dr. Frey.
You
may need to be taking more vitamins when on medications, pregnant
or breast-feeding, if you're over the age of 55, or if you
smoke. "Smokers need more Vitamin C because tobacco decreases
absorption," says Dr. Frey. Also, women taking oral contraceptives
might not be getting enough folic acid and should consult
their doctor about the possibility.
Most
experts agree that the best way to get your daily dose of
vitamins is through the food that you eat, specifically, through
whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Make
your list
To
help you sort it all out, the Institute of Medicine publishes
RDAs (Recommended Dietary Allowances) that will let you know
what the recommended dosage is. However, Dr. Frey comments
that these levels are just the minimum before vitamin deficiency
sets in. He recommends a newsletter put out by Dr. Andrew
Weil called Self Healing that can be found on Dr. Weil's
web site at pathfinder.com/drweil. An annual subscription
will cost approximately $16 if you sign up online. Dr. Weil's
web site also contains a vitamin guide that, after you have
answered a few personal health history questions, will compute
which vitamins and dosages you should be taking.
If
you're still not sure, it's always best to consult a doctor.
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